The two brands have partnered to drive a circular economy, with an initiative that incentivises customers to recycle their plastic waste in-store
Spinneys, a locally-owned supermarket, in partnership with global food and beverages company PepsiCo, has introduced a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) in its sustainable concept store Layan. This initiative aims to increase the recycling rate in the UAE by advancing recycling infrastructure, building better consumer awareness and ultimately, ensuring packaging doesn’t turn into waste.
The in-store recycling machine forms part of Spinneys’ ‘Let’s Close the Loop’ campaign; and a key vision is for the plastic waste to be converted into recycled content that can be used for the production of future FMCG products such as food packaging.
Through this collaboration, plastic bottles collected by the RVM are recycled by local manufacturer DGrade, who give new value to materials. As an example, the single-use plastics collected from the Layan store, will be used by DGrade to create sustainable clothing from its Greenspun yarn, including polo shirts for Spinneys’ staff to wear in stores.
Additionally, further immediate sustainability goals for Spinneys include a reduction of its own-label packaging by 30 per cent and an increase in the number of renewable materials used in packaging by 40 per cent.
Now, customers who visit the Layan store and recycle a minimum of five plastic bottles immediately enter a monthly prize draw to win Spinneys’ shopping vouchers or a luxury food experience in the UAE. The first dining prize to be offered is a meal for four at the award-winning restaurant BOCA, known for its sustainable approach to sourcing and waste management, based in DIFC.
To enter the prize draw and stand a chance to win, customers must take their coupon post recycling to a customer service counter with their contact details.
